Conductor containing post and bracket assemblies



D. T. BRANN Jan. 26, 1965 CONDUCTOR CONTAINING POST AND BRACKET ASSEMBLIES Filed Sept. 25, 1962 MIT N 1. llll" IN V EN TOR.

00mm 2 anew/v BY & Mu 4r7'0mv/ e w d United States Patent Oflice 3,167,669 CONDUCTGR CONTAlNlN G POST AND BRACKET ASSlEh IELIES Donald T. Brann, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Detroit Partition C0., Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 226,115 6 Claims. (ill. 17-4-70) This invention relates to post and bracket assemblies and particularly assemblies in which a bracket projects horizontally from a post to carry a platform such as a desk top or shelf.

An object of the invention is to so fashion a post and bracket that they may be quickly and easily interconnected or disconnected without need for any fasteners other than those resulting from the particular formation of the post and bracket.

Another object is to adapt a post to rigidly carry a bracket laterally projecting from the post, and to alternatively carry two such brackets oppositely projecting from the post.

Another object is to form a post with a pair of spaced parallel flanges coextensive in length with the post and grooved longitudinally of said flanges to receive a pair of guide lugs formed terminally of a bracket fitted betweeen said flanges, the latter having another pair of opposed grooves slidably receiving a partition strip transverse to said flanges and forming within and lengthwise of the post a space which may receive conductors leading to any electrical appliance that may be installed on said bracket or on a platform surmounting the bracket.

Another object is to provide two brackets supported by and oppositely projecting from a post and having inner ends inserted in the post, and to form the post with an interior web extending lengthwise of the post and having an aperture receiving adjoined anchoring portions of both brackets.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of two brackets mounted on and oppositely projecting from a post, in accordance with one embodiment of my improved assembly.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the post in vertical section.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a flexible partition strip used in the assembly.

In these views, the reference character 1 designates a vertically elongated post of an approximate H shape in cross-section and consequently formed with a web 2 and with two pairs of spaced substantially parallel flanges 3, oppositely projecting from the web. Said post is preferably formed of aluminum, and hence lends itself to production by extrusion, and may have any desired length. In most installations, the post will extend from a floor to a ceiling and will be anchored at its ends in any desired manner (not shown). If desired, the post may be largely concealed within a vertical wall (not shown), reinforcing such wall.

Coextensive with each pair of flanges 3, a pair of elongated grooves 4 are oppositely formed in the inner faces of said flanges, adjoining the free edges of said flanges, and adjoining the grooves 4 said faces are formed with a pair of opposed and relatively narrow grooves 5. The grooves 5 form slideways for an elongated flexible strip 6, dividing the space between each pair of flan es into approximately equal inner and outer chambers 7 and 7a.

3,167,609 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 The chamber 7 may receive any required number of electrical conductors 8, in case these are needed. The strip 6 forms a cover for the corresponding chamber 7, thus concealing the conductors 8 and excluding dust from said chamber. The chamber 7a forms a runway receiving the inner end of an elongated bracket 9. Said bracket is formed preferably of sheet metal and occupies a vertical plane. The upper edge portion of the bracket is formed with a pair of flanges 10 oppositely projecting from the main body of the bracket, and serving to seat a platform 1th: such as a shelf, desk top or table top, two of the described brackets and corresponding posts ordinarily being horizontally spaced to jointly provide adequate support.

From the inner end of the bracket 9, a pair of opposite lugs 12 project laterally from the bracket flanges 10. In mounting the bracket on the post, the inner end of the bracket is first inserted in the runway 7a through the upper end of the latter, the lugs 12 being entered in the grooves 4 during such insertion. The bracket is then slid lengthwise of the post until a hook 13, projecting from a tongue 11 at the juncture of the lower and front margins of the bracket, registers with and is entered in a circular aperture 14 formed in the web 2 at a suitable distance from the lower end of the post. Upon then releasing the bracket, it will drop slightly responsive to its own weight, thus engaging the margin of said aperture by the hook and preventing any swinging of the bracket about the axis established jointly by the lugs 12. Resistance to any such swinging increases in proportion to any increase of load applied to the bracket, the latter exerting a considerable leverage in thrusting the tongue 11 against the web 2.

At the junctures of its oppositely projecting flanges 3, the post is exteriorly formed with a pair of duplicate opposed grooves 15, preferably coextensive with the post, and serving, if desired, to receive vertical margins of partitioning panels such as indicated at 16.

While there has so far been described an assembly requiring a single bracket 9, the drawing shows the provision of two such brackets oppositely projecting from the post.

As best appears in FIG. 4, the hooks 13 of these duplicate brackets are offset slightly to opposite sides of the vertical plane established by the main bodies of the brackets centrally thereof. This prevents said hooks from abutting each other in the course of assembly and permits them to lie side by side in entering the aperture 14 without necessitating an aperture so large as to afford undesirable lateral play of the brackets relative to the post.

When the assembly en.ploys, as illustrated, an oppositely projecting pair of the brackets 9, there will preferably be provided two of the strips 6, and whether one or two of the strips are employed, it will be necessary to form each strip with a slot 17, through which may pass the tongue 11 and corresponding hook 13, so that the latter may be inserted in the aperture 14. In case electrical conductors are installed in one or both chambers 7, such conductors will be well insulated and may be readily thrust aside by the hook or hooks 13 to avoid impeding insertion of the latter in the aperture 14.

A highly desirable feature of the assembly is its adaptability to various conditions of installation. Thus, it may be set up in close proximity to a wall or to the juncture of intersecting walls, or may be remote from any wall. Also, the construction lends itself, without change, to installing a platform at one or both sides of the described posts as may be preferred.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an elongated hollow post formed with a web and with a pair of spaced parallel flanges, substantially coextensive in length with the post, said flanges being formed with "inserted between said flanges, such end having a pair of oppositely projecting lugs slidably fitted in said grooves, said inner end having its lower portion formed with a hook projecting length rise of the bracket from said inner end having a terminal downward projection, the web having an aperture through which the hook is inserted to' straddle the margin of the aperture and to retain the bracket in engagement with the Web, resisting swinging of the bracket about said lugs, and a strip of flexible insulation fitted between the flanges and substantially parallel to said Web and dividing the space between said flanges into an outer chamber receiving an inner end portion of said bracket and an inner chamber accoumodating electrical conductors, said strip covering the inner chamber and excluding dusttherefroni.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, the inner faces of the flanges being formed with a second pair of opposed grooves receiving edge portions of said strip.

3. In combination, an elongated post having an H form in cross section, whereby said post has a web and has. two

pairs of spaced flanges oppositely projecting from the web, two elongated brackets oppositely projecting from the post, and having their respective inner ends inserted between the respective pairs of ianges, means on each 'pair of flanges for guiding the corresponding bracket in sliding'travel lengthwise of the post, and a hook on the lower portion of the inner end of each bracket, said web having an aperture receiving the hooks of both brackets 4 to maintain the ransverse relation of both brackets to the post.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3, said guiding means comprising a pair of iugs oppositely projecting laterally from the inner end of each bracket, the inner vfaces of each pair or" flanges being formed with a pair of opposed grooves substantially coextensive in length with the post, said lugs having a sliding t in said grooves.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 3, the post being formed exteriorly thereof with a pair of elongated grooves, substantially coextensive in length with said flanges, said grooves extending substantially vertically between the oppositely projecting pairs of flanges and serving to receive edge portions of partitions oppositely extending laterally from the post.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 3, said hooks being oliset from each other to a lapped side-by-side relation to avoid ei-r mutually abuttin in entering said aperture.

el erences Zited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,636 10/34 Keil 248-243 1,979,304 11/34 Lutz 174-68 2,699,526 11/37 Lavarack 174-75 3,086,986 3/63 Gibbons 2lll76 FOREIGN PATENTS 628,537 8/49 Great Britain.

JOHN F. BURNS, Primary Examiner.

JOHN P. WILDMAN, Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED POST HAVING A H FORM IN CROSS SECTION, WHEREBY SAID POST HAS A WEB AND HAS TWO PAIRS OF SPACED FLANGES OPPOSITELY PROJECTING FROM THE WEB, TWO ELONGATED BRACKETS OPPOSITELY PROJECTING FROM THE POST, AND HAVING THEIR RESPECTIVE INNER ENDS INSERTED BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF FLANGES, MEANS ON EACH PAIR OF FLANGES FOR GUIDING THE CORRESPONDING BRACKET IN SLIDING TRAVEL LENGTHWISE OF THE POST, AND A HOOK ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE INNER END OF EACH BRACKET, SAID WEB HAVING AN APERTURE RECEIVING THE HOOKS OF BOTH BRACKETS TO MAINTAIN THE TRANSVERSE RELATION OF BOTH BRACKETS TO THE POST. 